Sunny Rest nudist resort plans beer festival in Palmerton

“Just bring some sunscreen and a towel, but nothing else,” says General Manager Halsie Shoemaker.

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By Stacy M. Brown

poconorecord.com

By Stacy M. Brown

Posted Jun. 16, 2014 at 3:54 PM
Updated Jun 16, 2014 at 4:12 PM

By Stacy M. Brown

Posted Jun. 16, 2014 at 3:54 PM
Updated Jun 16, 2014 at 4:12 PM

» Social News

At the average beer festival, stripping down to your birthday suit isn't normally something the host encourages.

But, Halsie Shoemaker isn't throwing the average beer festival.

Shoemaker, the general manager at the Sunny Rest Resort in Palmerton, requires party-goers to sample an unlimited collection of brew and arrive in the buff, with just a towel to occasionally rest your bottom.

“It's unique, but lots of fun,” Shoemaker said of the third annual Bare Beach Beer Bash, which will be held June 28 at Sunny Rest Resort.

“Just bring some sunscreen and a towel, but nothing else,” she said.

Rob DeMaria, who works for nearby Prism Brewing Co., said this year will mark the second time he's attended. He said he enjoyed every moment last year and this year promises to be even more exciting.

“People travel from all over to relax at Sunny Rest and so the attendees tend to be a great mix of everyday people,” DeMaria said. “It's not your typical beer fest and not just because it's held at a nude resort, but because you get to meet some really great people without anyone judging you based on what clothes you're wearing or which cool beer shirt you have on.”

DeMaria and Shoemaker said the attention this year's fest is commanding from the media has been off the charts, further driving interest.

“The first year was good and last year was good, but this year has been amazing and the phone has been ringing off the hook,” Shoemaker said. “Seth Meyers talked about it, Fox News and others have talked about it and there has been an influx of ticket requests because of it. We didn't expect this kind of publicity.”

Even the legal community has weighed in.

On her blog at FindLaw.com, attorney Jenny Tsay talked about potential legal issues that Shoemaker and others could face as they revel in events such as naked Jell-O and pudding wrestling.

“While running around naked in the mountains for a day sounds like a good time, attendees and organizers still need to abide by the law,” Tsay said.

Pennsylvania law says it's a crime if a person exposes his or her genitals in a public place where other people are present and the person knows that the exposure will offend others.

Penalties can result in fines or jail time and could be elevated if a person exposes himself or herself to someone under the age of 16. However, Tsay points out that the Sunny Rest Resort is a clothes-free, private resort that's open to people of all ages and the resort's rules state that visitors can be nude anywhere on the property.

“Since it isn't a public place, there likely won't be any indecent exposure issues. Plus, children who are at the resort are most likely there with their families, so offending nudist-friendly families isn't likely,” she said.

Shoemaker said she's mostly thrown caution, along with clothing, to the wind.

“I have no words of caution,” she said. “Just bring your towel to sit on and sunscreen because this is such a fun time, a relaxing time and it's definitely good for someone who like to try things out for the first time.”